1993 Volkswagen Jetta III GL

The lights are on again at VW stores.

Volkswagen, the car, these days has to take second billing to Volkswa­gen, the international soap-opera star, as the latter flings accusations and shreds documents in its ongoing portrayal of a German gang that couldn't espionage straight.

In part, this second billing is by default, because this German gang has just about let the burner go out under its U.S. car business. How the mighty have fallen! Twentysome years ago, VW was ace of the U.S. imports, loved by its customers and envied by all its competitors as it sold more than a half million cars on a good year (about what the entire Pontiac Divi­sion sells now). Last year it was more like deuce of the imports, decidedly unloved by its customers, who ranked it near the bottom of the Customer Satisfaction Index and at the bottom of the Initial Quality Survey, both conducted by J.D. Power and Associates. The competitors weren't exactly studying VW's game films either, as the German maker sold only 73,191 cars in the U.S., down from 91,696 the previ­ous year.

For the record, VW has been the top-selling brand in Europe for most of the last half-dozen years. But it has treated the U.S. market like a moonlighting job. Case in point: the third-generation (hence the suffix III) Jetta and Golf were introduced in Europe in late 1991 and were in that market full speed in 1992, while the U.S. made do with leftovers from the old series. The Ills didn't arrive in U.S. showrooms until late this summer, nearly two years after the Euro debut. And those tardy '93s, with their door-mounted passive belts, will be quickly obsoleted in early '94, when dual airbags are added as standard equip­ment. Marketing by chaos theory?

The few VW loyalists left will be happy to hear that Jetta III is definitely a better VW and, in some ways, a charming car. It's fractionally larger than the old model, on a perceptibly wider track. The look is very similar, though the wind likes it better—the Cd is 0.32, down from 0.36 before.

The interior is the best part, superb even on this low-end GL model. The door pan­els, console, and dash are sculpted into shapes that are both interesting and useful (seven cupholders, map room galore). The vast, somber expanse of black across the dash and console of past models has been replaced by a classy shade of taupe in this car. The surface textures please the eye, too. Comfort is easy to find for a variety of bodies. The driver's bucket has a handy height adjuster. The steering-column height also adjusts.

Rear comfort is exceptionally good for a small car, thanks to the firm seat cush­ion located high off the floor. Tall guys won't have to chew on their knees.

Ergonomic details are nicely coordi­nated in the new Jetta. The radio and climate controls are located high on the panel where eyes can find them without moving too far off the road. The radio plays with the ignition off but stops when you pull the key out of the switch. Unfor­tunately, the '93 Jetta's generous glove box disappears to make room for a pas­senger airbag in 1994.

With a fifteen-cubic-foot trunk, this car has exceptional cargo capacity. Access is easy, too, because the lid opens right down to the bumper and out full width to the corner taillights. The hinges don't bite into the room when the lid is down either, and they allow the lid to swing up past vertical.

For the big hauling jobs, the rear seat cushion can be tilted up and the backrest folded forward in its place. This creates a barn-door opening into the trunk and a nearly flat load floor. On matters utilitar­ian, the Jetta III earns high marks.

On the matter of sporting motoring, the Jetta III once again comes up utilitarian. The 1984cc engine, up from 1780, has good torque and 115 stolid horses, 15 hp more than before. Yet this car will never goad anyone into irresponsible behavior. Control efforts remind us of stirring STP, and response to the stirring is unhurried. The trip to 60 mph takes 10.1 seconds, and top speed is electrically limited to 118 mph. The engine is slow to catch when you turn the key, and its four-cylinder res­onances are improved from past VW levels but not up to the standard set by the average Japanese sedan. The fuel economy is off rather substantially, down to 23 on the EPA city cycle and 30 on the highway cycle, compared with 25 and 32 for the previous model.

The new Jetta GL's handling is com­petent rather than fun. The nippy, zingy, adolescent exuberance of past VWs is gone, replaced by the measured responses of an adult car. There are benefits to adult­hood, of course. This car will cut a quick pace through the twisties. The power steering feeds back the right information, and an accurate path comes with sur­prising ease. But you won't find yourself grinning much in the process.

The brakes are substantially upgraded, with the vented front discs increased to 10.1 inches from 9.4. In back, 8.9-inch solid discs replace the old drums. Stopping from 70 mph takes 212 feet.

One VW problem of the past—an exceptionally high rate of radio thefts—has been conspicuously addressed. Power locks and an alarm system are standard on all Jettas now, with a blinking red light on the windowsill next to the door-lock button to intimidate break-in artists. The key-turn effort to activate the power locks feels like a NordicTrack exercise.

For 1994, VW plans three trim-and-equipment levels: the base four-cylinder GL for $13,515, a four with more luxury items called the GLS, and a V-6 version with standard ABS called the GLX. The four-cylinder cars will be made in Mex­ico, the sixes in Germany.

For those hauling needs that have nothing to do with trunk room, the sixes should be much more interesting.

Verdict:

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